Game apparatus.



No. 831,802. PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906.

M. E. SAYRE.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1905.

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z W QWW I PATENTED SEPT. 25

M. E. SAYRE. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1905.

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NORRIS PETERS summon, u. c.

PATENT oriuon.

MARK E. SAYRE, OF BYESVILLE, OHIO.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed June 2,1905. Serial No- 263.443.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARK E. SAYRE, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Byesville, in the county of Guernsey and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of a simple game apparatus designed particularly for indoor use and chiefly for children. similar in its detail features to the bowling alley apparatus at present much used, embodying a miniature alley-bed upon which small tenpins are placed to be knocked over by shooting marbles with the thumb and forefinger.

The invention resides, primarily, in the special construction of the game-board, which is made with a view to securing a comparatively cheap article and one which will be substantial and serviceable, as necessary for the purposes of the invention.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a game apparatus embodying the invention. Fi 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the pit-section. Fig. 5 is a transverse section. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pit end of the alley-bed, partly broken away.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Aside from the amusement afforded by means embodying the invention it isto be noted that the same has its instructive features, in that a certain amount of skill and quickness must be exercised in keeping account of the score in playing the game, and this is very desirable in an apparatus of this type for obvious reasons.

In carrying out the invention a gameboard is provided, and the same is made, preferably, in two sectionsabodysection 1 and a pit-section 2, disposed at one end of the body section 1. The body-section l of the gameboard is composed of an alley-bed 2 at the sides of which are disposed gutters 3, which are formed by channeled strips secured in The game is any substantial way to the longitudinal edges of the alley-bed 2*. The gutters 3 incline toward the pit-section 2 of the gameboard in order that the projectiles used may run into the pitsection, gravitating in this movement. The gutter-strips extend the entire length of the bed 2*, and the tops of said strips are preferably about flush with the upper side of the bed 2 to afford a compact and neat construction and to permit the projectiles or marbles to readily pass into the gutter 3 should they by bound from the tenpins l. The pit-section 2 is composed of the bottom 5, to the upper side of which is secured suitable covering material 5" to deaden the sound caused by falling of the projectiles thereupon. An end portion of the bottom 5 of the alley is received in a rabbetted portion 6 at one end of the body section of the game-board, said rabbeted portion 6 being formed from the under side of the board, so that one end of the body-section 0verlaps the bottom 5 of the pit-section 2, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Further, the arrangement of the bottom 5 of the pit-section 2 is such that the same is below the level of the bed 2 and forms virtually a pit in which the pins and projectiles are adapted to be received in the actual use of the device. The pit-section has its under side flush with that of the section 1 and is also composed of a back 7, which has suitable backing or padding material secured to its inner side for noise-deadening purposes, and sides 8 are also a part of the pit-section 2, the front ends of said sides 8 being cut away. The front extremities of the sides 8 of the pitsection 2 extend a short distance beyond the bottom 5, and the extending portions (indicated at 9) are firmly attached to opposite sides of the body-section l of the gameboard by means of fastenings or the like. The sides 8 are of course secured to the bottom 5 of the pit-section, and said section is thus reinforced and made very substantial.

It is designed that the front end of the alleybed 2 or the end from which the player shoots his marbles or projectiles, shall be provided with a suitable pad 10, upon which the hand is adapted to rest as the projectile is shot. The end portion of the alley-bed 2 adjacent the pit-section 2 may be provided with spots, upon which the tenpins 4 may be spotted for purposes of convenience and accuracy. In order that the projectiles may be conveniently returned to the player who the pit-section 2.

is shooting in the actual use of the device, a return-way 11 is provided, and this way may be made by providing an inclined strip having the upper side thereof channeled and inclining upwardly towardthe pit-secti0n 2 of the game-board. I The rear extremity of the strip formed with the return-way 11 will be secured to a side of the pit-section 2 at the extremity thereof, and the front extremity of this strip will be suitably secured to the front end of the body-section 1 of the game board and substantially held in place by suitable fastenings at one side of one of the gutter-strips 3.

The manner of connecting the pit-section of the-apparatus with the alley-bed is advantageous, in that it greatly subserves the rigidity of the parts when the same are being handled. The manner of joining the rear end of the alley-bed with the front portion of the bottom of the pit-section is such that should the device be dropped and the shock received on the pit-section there is no likelihood of separation of the parts. The return-way 11, too, virtually forms a brace joining the pitsection with the alley-bed at one side and in this capacity is very advantageous.

In playing the game it will be readily seen that the player may sit or dispose himself adjacent the front end of the game-board, and, resting his hand upon the pad 10, he will shoot the projectile or marble at the pins, which are situated at the end of the alley-bed 2. Should the marble rebound and run into a gutter 3, it will gravitate downwardly to Any suitable manner of counting the score may be determined upon as found best for the purposes of the invention, and the return-way 11 is of course utilized to return the marbles to the player, the one who sets up the pins being preferably lo cated adjacent the pit-section 2 to conveniently return the projectiles and set up the pins.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is In game apparatus of the class described, the combination of a body-section composed of an alley-bed, gutters at opposite sides of the alley-bed and inclining toward one end thereof, a pit-section at the extremity of the alley-bed and composed of a bottom, the upper side of which is below the plane of the upper side of the alley-bed and the under side of which is flush with that of the alley-bed, a back and sides for the pit-section, the sides being projected a short distance beyond the bottom and secured to the alley-bed, the rear end of the alley-bed being rabbeted transversely on its under side so as to overlap the adjacent end of the bottom of the pit-section and a return-way comprising a strip having a channel inclining upwardly toward the pitsection of the game-board and attached to the alley-bed at one side thereof and secured to one side of the pit-section aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARK E. SAYRE.

Witnesses:

E. E. TANNER, GUY E. SHOEMAKER. 

